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Tuesday, 29 June 2010

I am still struggling to get over the fright that I had over the weekend. I was lying in my bed fast asleep when I felt and saw something dark coloured run down my arm. I was still half asleep and jumped out of bed ranting about something running up my arm. Mr Style Eyes woke up and naturally insisted that I was dreaming or hallucinating! As I didn't really have a clue what was going on I went back to bed and fell asleep only to be woken half an hour later by something furry brushing against my face- this time I was pretty sure about it, it was a mouse- eeek. This time I jumped out of bed and shouted quite loud, 'its there', 'what' said Mr Style Eyes, 'a mouse there', 'what are you talking about' he said, the he spotted it peering at him through a glass of water on the bedside cabinet.

Then ensued a half an hour game of chase the mouse around the bedroom. The cats showed not the slightest bit of interest and eventually we gave up and decided to continue the search in the morning. Of course I refused to sleep in the bedroom instead alternating between the sofa and childrens bedrooms in a kind of musical beds. In the morning, there was still no sign of Little Mousey Brown as he was now affectionately known but I had a sneaking suspicion that he might have made his way into the wardrobe to nibble at my shoes and handbags.

Eventually Mr Style Eyes managed to find Little Mousey Brown nestled in my scarf and belt draw (a mouse who loves accessories, how cute, although not so at the time) and very humanely released him back in to the wild (using his hands!). As much as the children loved the idea of him sharing the house with us I was very glad to have the house and our bed back to ourselves. It also took me ages to go through my whole draw of scarves and wash them all.

These two are in the dog house so to speak, I am guessing that one of them brought Little Mousey Brown in but they lost interest when it came to removing him. They are currently being enrolled in mouser lessons.

Monday, 28 June 2010

I was recently invited by Sarenza, a French online shoe retailer that has just launched a UK site, to enter a competion to win a shopping trip to Paris. All I had to do was choose a pair of shoes from Sarenza, wear my most fashionable outfit to match the shoes and take a picture of myself. The blogger that gets the most votes between 5 and 10th July will win a shopping trip to Paris. You can follow the competiton on the Sarenza Blog. I will be eternally grateful for any votes (I shall post a reminder a bit nearer the time)

The shoes that I chose were by Pare Gabia whose range I have a crush on because they combine elegance and wearabilty and flatter my feet, yes gorgeous shoes that I can actually walk in.

As I wouldn't consider any of my clothes to be the height of fashion, I decided to wear my faithful beige dress which fits in well with the summers trend for neutrals but is also is the perfect back drop to show of gorgeous accessories and of course these shoes.

Sunday, 27 June 2010

The lovely white dress that I bought from Dorothy Perkins has arrived. I was a little disappointed at first because it didn't suit me. The sleeves plus the volume of the skirt just looked a bit much for someone as short as me. But the white cotton fabric was so lovely I couldn't bear to send it back. Instead I decided to customise it by chopping it up with a pair of dressmaking shears that I recently unearthed from the back of my wardrobe. The perfect little project to do sitting on the sun lounger in the garden during a rare hour or two I had to myself. I was a little apprehensive about chopping up a brand new dress (as was Mr Style Eyes) in case I ruined it but in the end was really pleased with the result.

Here is how it looked to start with.

First I trimmed off some of the excess material and folded the material inwards to the shoulder seam and pinned in place.Then I hand stitched along the arm seam on the inside of the dress to create a sort of mini puffed sleeve. I have used the sewing machine but couldn't be bothered to get it down from the cupboard, plus I wanted to sit outside in the sunshine.

The finished dress! Apologies for the slightly grainy pictures. I have accidently changed one of the settings on my camera and I am still working out how to change it back.

I also think this dress will work much better with a bit of a sun tan (I am working on it).

Friday, 25 June 2010

Yesterday, I decided to wear my faithful khaki trousers and navy top combo (one of my favourites at the moment) I wanted to accessorise with this scarf which I bought a year or two ago. You can't see it too well but it has beautiful embroidery in fuschia pink and khaki on it and bells that jingle as I walk. I was just too hot to wear it around my neck so decided to tie it around my waist sarong style. Unfortunately after an hour or two I had to lose it all together as I was just too hot! I love this hot weather but find I have to go for simple outfits without too many accessories most of the time.

Thursday, 24 June 2010

Yet another busy week has passed me by and I haven't had the chance to wear half of the outfits that I would like to or write half of the posts that I would like to. Does anyone else feel that there just isn't enough hours in the day? Anyone enough of the moaning, with England getting through to the next round of the world cup, I definitely have something to celebrate and a very good reason to get dressed up.

This week I have spent a lot of time writing and thinking about wedding dresses. Not something that I will ever be wearing again though as I was married over 10 years ago, but I still remember the excitement of my aunt designing and making my dress.

Today is the last day to enter my competition to win a gorgeous Yumi birdcage dress. You have only hours (just over 2) left to enter so hurry up if you want to stand a very good chance of winning.

Finally, I have so many exciting plans for the summer both personally and for the blog including a trip to Vintage at Goodwood (I can't wait). What fashionable plans does everybody have for the summer I would love to hear?

And finally, finally thank you to all of those who read this blog and for all the support and encouragement that you give in your comments, it really means a lot to me.

I seem to have gone shoe mad lately and have found myself coveting a whole range of different shoes from Spartoo. I think that shoes really finish an outfit and the wrong shoes just make the whole outfit look really wrong. Therefore whilst I am very much for sustainability and not buying clothes (or anything else) that I don't really need, my shoes are a vital part of my wardrobe, which I look after well and store carefully. I very rarely throw a pair of shoes away unless they are worn out and beyond repair. Each pair of shoes that I own helps to finish off an outfit to perfection but there are still a few occasions, situations or outfits where I find it difficult to find just the right pair of shoes.

Picnics in the park

I often find myself in completely in appropriate footwear at times like these. Just because I don't really have many flat and practical shoes that also look gorgeous. I never ever wear trainers except for running or going to the gym and my black ballet flats whilst versatile are really starting to bore me. I love Liberty prints and these Bensimon Tennis Liberty Shoes in Burgundy would even manage to make a boring old pair of jeans into a special outfit. They would also be great for wearing with shorts and dressing down a day dress.

Holiday

Holiday calls for simple and delicate strappy sandals that are easy to walk in, cool and perfect for showing off my perfectly manicured and painted toenails (which I am sure that I will get round to some time soon). I am not a fan of gladiators as the ankle straps might make my short legs look even shorter. Number one on my wish list are these Cafe Noir Svena Multiblack sandals. I love the different colours and textures of the straps.

Sunday, 20 June 2010

OK I said I didn't do neutrals, in fact, I have said it over and over again, but I guess if you think, write and talk about something enough, you end up convincing yourself. I just love the word greige and the nail polish colour and this look is inspired by both, a beige dress with a grey cardigan. This is a great outfit for kind of fading into the background but I couldn't help adding a bit of colour with my favourite red necklace and a big bunch of balloons. Perhaps I am hoping the neutral colours will help to calm all of the children that are just about to arrive at my daughters birthday party!

Hope that you had a lovely weekened and Fathers Day, I managed to spend a very busy but enjoyable day with my lovely dad (and the rest of my family). I am now hoping that the week ahead will give the opportunity for some sort of rest.

Friday, 18 June 2010

I have been finding it quite difficult to work over the last few days with all of the emails about sales pinging into my inbox causing a huge distraction. I am not usually a big fan of sales as I seem to get tempted into buying stuff that I don't really need but this year the summer sales seem so early, summer has barely started and I haven't even been on holiday. When I spotted a few items reduced that I have been on the look out for some time reduced, I couldn't resist.

I have quite a few accessories but the one thing I am really lacking in is clutch bags for slightly smarter outfits or nights out. I have had my eye on a black and white straw one in French Connection for a while but when I went over to check if it was in the sale, I spotted this green leather one which I liked even better.

Last but not least, I have been wanting a white lace dress with an empire line all season, for that romantic sort of look. I don't like synthetic fabrics much but have been struggling to find one that isn't synthetic and that I like but when I spotted this cream broiderie dress at Dorothy Perkins in the sale, it was the perfect alternative.

Also it is coming up to Mr Style Eyes birthday soon and I have noticed a distinct lack of casual shirts in his wardrobe. I spotted this Fahri by Nicole Fahri linen shirt in the My Wardrobe sale and I couldn't resist, it looks so cool and comfy (I hope he doesn't read this or that's his surprise ruined).

Thursday, 17 June 2010

With holidays not too far away and the launch of the new beach wear collection by Katherine Hamnett, I have been thinking about ethical swimwear. Although swimwear is not something that most people buy much of, so not something you would necessarily consider going ethical with, I think every small thing we can do to help make fashion more ethical and eco friendly will make a difference. I also don't usually mind paying a little extra for swim and beach wear as even though there is not much of it, I practically live in it on holiday and so it needs to be flattering. I was quite surprised by the gorgeous swimwear that I found whilst researching this post and there is definitely some that I would buy, ethical or not. The only point that I would like to make is that you should check out the returns policy before you buy for any swimwear.

First up was the new Katherine Hamnett collection. The collection which is available on Yooxygen features 14 different pieces with the slogan save the sea. It is made from organic cotton and recycled polyester. It also feature both a his and her range. Most of the range is quite unexciting but I did like the silk dress in khaki green. Unfortunately at £122, I probably wouldn't risk wearing it to the beach. There was also a very nice vintage style one piece bathing costume but again at £128 a little beyond my budget.

Lalesso also make some great ethical swimwear that feature batik prints, made in Kenya under a Fair Trade scheme which supports communities. They are bright colourful and a great price. Lalesso is available on Fashion Conscience and a slightly larger selection on Lalesso Bazaar.

Aaron Chang is again available on Fashion Conscience and a surfer brand with bikinis made from either organic cotton or recycled plastic bottles. I love the unusual design on this bikini and the fact that it is reversible. It is probably my favourite of all the ethical swimwear because not only does not only is it a great colour with elephants on but it is also a great price (and in the sale at the moment).

Emobi is an Australian brand with some amazing bright bold retro print swimwear. The company uses sustainable practices and eco inks. This swimsuit along with a range of other swimsuits and bikinis is available on Fashion Conscience. It is quite pricey at £72 but I would definitely consider investing if visiting an exclusive resort (no such luck this year).

Tuesday, 15 June 2010

On the weekend I went on a scarecrow trail with my family. I have been to a few different ones before but am not sure if they are just a West country thing or if people do them every where. People around the village design and make scarecrows to fit in with a theme. We had to go around and guess the answers.

The theme was songs. Can you guess what song this scarecrow is supposed to be? No? we couldn't either. Actually we didn't guess very many of them, after about 10 minutes child started to get impatient and we had to abandon the scarecrow hunt in favour of bacon sarnies at the refreshment tent on the village green. It was fun while it lasted and if you have a scarecrow trail near you, I would definitely recommend going along, people put so much effort into making their scarecrows.

What I wore? naturally I had to put in a little effort to avoid being mistaken for a scarecrow. I though I would go for nautical.

Denim skirt and striped top - Dorothy Perkins (a few years old)necklace - a local boutiqueShoes - Spartoo

There are so many gorgeous summer clothes at the moment and I am definitely making the most of the summer weather to get some wear out of mine. If you haven't already done so, please enter my giveaway to win a Yumi birdcage dress. Here are some fashion reads that might interest you.

Posh-Swaps.com - My favourite listing this week has to be the coral Lipsy dress in size 8. There are also plenty of other amazing summer clothes listed. Clothes swapping and buying second hand clothes are a great way to help the environment.

There is a really interesting post this week on IFB, Does gifting affect blogger credibilty. Just for the record, I do accept gifts, samples and freebies. I only accept stuff that I like the look of though and I only right honest reviews or posts on this blog. I also mention to my readers if something has been sent to me buy a company. Would be really interested to hear everyone elses thoughts on this subject.

Sunday, 13 June 2010

I love the colour yellow, the more I wear it the more clothes I want to buy in it. For me yellow is especially suited to summer and also looks better on me when I have a bit of a sun tan. I am trying not to buy too many clothes at the moment but couldn't resist this golden yellow tunic when I spotted it in the local charity shop. At only £4.50 it certainly wouldn't break the bank and I also love the idea of helping the environment by buying second hand clothes. I know I will get plenty of wear from this top. I have already thought of numerous different ways to wear it and wanted to do a post '1 top, 5 ways' but as usual I ran out of time and didn't have time to take all the photographs. Perhaps I will try this another day!

Links à la Mode: Fashion Blogger’s Delight

by jennine on June 10, 2010After a small hiatus of Links à la Mode it was great to revisit all the wonderful links submitted to the community each week. As bloggers grow, so do concerns about growing pains. Sugar & Spice talks about bridging the gap between her online identity and real life one, Retro Chick ponders the pros and cons of niche blogging and Miss Vinyl Ahoy shares tips protecting your content with a Creative Commons license. But that’s not all… there are loads of interviews from Fasshionaburu meets Rachel Roy and M.I.S.S. interviews a vintage vixen for a stunning video (try saying that 3x). All a great mix, so grab a cuppa tea and enjoy!

Saturday, 12 June 2010

I was sent this gorgeous dress by Covert Candy from their Vintage shop some time back. I have been desperate to wear it for some time but just have not had the right place to wear it. Today, I decided to try it on anyway, even though I will not be wearing it all day, as it seems a shame to wear it for sitting around the house and it is also a little warm. It has the most amazing and unusual print as you can just about see from the photos. The only thing about it that I don't like is that it is nylon, something that I wouldn't usually wear but for the beauty of the design on it, I can forgive anything. Please feel free to leave comments on ideas for where I could wear my vintage dress.

Friday, 11 June 2010

I am not usually a follower of football but with an event as big as the World Cup, it is very difficult not to get drawn in. I will definitely be watching England play tomorrow night armed with the obligatory glass of lager and England flag. This years venue for the world cup has reminded me not only about the amazing colours and vibrant prints that come from Africa but also the daily difficulties that many people in Africa face and the great fashion initiatives that have been set up in Africa. But the fashion is not just about bold prints, there is quite a lot more.

Whilst researching a post about ethical swim wear (coming very soon), I stumbled across some Afrochic which sells a range of luxury African designer fashion and supports local traders and designers. Suzaan Heynes is just one of the designers featured on the site. She is a Johannesburg based graduate of the London International School of Fashion and is known for her edgy Avant Garde designs.The piece from her most recent collection that really jumped out at me is the cowl necked batwing jumpsuit (and the belt).Thula Sindi is another of the designers making a name for himself in Africa following an education at the National School of Arts in Johannesburg and a degree fashion design at London International School of Fashion. His designs are elegant and innovative.His latest collection features plenty of contrast including this cute floral dress combined with leopard print gloves.

Nassir Mohammed is quite an established Cape Town based designer whose clothes are worn by many of the South Africa TV presenters. His clothes are known for being feminine, flattering and very wearable (pictured below).

Lalesso was the label that I came across when looking for ethical swim wear. With some great designs in some of the bold bright prints that you would expect to see from African designers, this label is about so much more than it's attention to ethical manufacture and sourcing in Kenya. The Cape Town based brand which was formed by Olivia Kennaway and Alice Heusser has an idealogy centred on transforming East African heritage into stylish and current contemporary designs. This label caused me to take a big gasp of air before saying 'I love it' out loud, not only are the dresses gorgeous but they are within my price range.

Wednesday, 9 June 2010

Last night, I was woken up at least 6 times by children (I lost count after that) consequently I was pretty tired this morning. I decided to wear something nice and bright to help wake myself up. This yellow t shirt almost fell into my hand when I opened the draw. The pink cardigan and multi coloured necklace don't seem like they are supposed to be combined with a yellow t shirt but I love the combination as it makes me think of tropical countries. As you might be able to see from the pictures I am trying to keep my eyes open, which is even more difficult with the camera flash, I am in desperate need of some match sticks to prop them up with.

T shirt - a charity shop (originally by Gap) I have bleached it to give it a slightly marbled effect and make it aslightly paler yellow which you might be able to see from the photo.

Would you dress like this in your mid forties? (SJP in Proenza Schouler- picture from www.couturesnob.com)

Age appropriate dress might not be something that other people think about that much but it is something that bothers me quite a bit. I am in my early thirties with children but I just can't seem to bring myself to dress to fit in with that stereo type of the 'yummy mummy'. I am well aware that as I get older, there will be even more stereo types and expectations of how I should dress. It also really terrifies me is that I might dress too grown up or sensible and people might think that I am older than I really am or a bit frumpy. It has even crossed my mind that if I continue to dress in the same way as I get older, people might use the dreaded words 'mutton dressed as lamb' to describe me.

The problem is deciding what sort of clothing is considered age appropriate and still having fun with my clothes. With many of the celebrities flouting the rules of what should be classed as appropriate for their age with great sucess, aren't the boundaries changing a bit. Think of Sarah Jessica Parker, Kylie Minogue and Cameron Diaz. They say that forties are the new thirties so why can this be applied to clothes too. For me personally, I couldn't get away with wearing many of the fashion trends that the celebs wear in their forties when I was in my teens and twenties so I certainly can't wear them now. As I get older I do feel the need to flatter my body by wearing clothes that really suit me.

The difficulty is that as you get older, you are expected to avoid trends and instead opt for classic styles. Being a fashion blogger, I am constantly immerged in the latest trends making them very hard to ignore but it I definitely think some are just not age appropriate for me. For example, I would love to wear a big hair bow but whilst it would have looked cute in my early twenties, it now feels a bit twee.

I guess it is all about the person and how they feel. There are lots of clothes that I do not feel comfortable in because of my height and body shape but I do like to wear fun, colourful and individual clothes. Whilst some might think I dress a bit strange (or not age appropriate), that is just me and the way that I like to be, I was just the same in my twenties, the only difference now is that I usually have to wear better quality clothes with a more generous cut and more often choose tailored pieces. Most of all I have an urgency to wear as many fun clothes as I can before I have to resign myself to granny cardis and slippers (although I am not sure that will ever happen).

What do you think? Do you ever consider whether your choice of clothes is age appropriate?

Monday, 7 June 2010

First of all I would like to apologise for the lack of posting over the last few weeks. I have just returned from a week of sun, sea and sand in Cornwall and hope to get back to usual posting now. Also sorry if I haven't stopped by your blog for a while, I hope to visit very soon. I thought I would share just a few of my holiday photos, hopefully they will not bore you too much.

A Warmest Welcome to Readers of Style Eyes

Style Eyes Fashion Blog is a personal style blog that aims to offer inspiration for sustainable fashion on a budget. It includes my fashion finds and outfits from charity shops, vintage retailers and ethical brands as well as conventional online and high street retailers. It also details my thoughts and ramblings on all sorts of things and DIY experiments.

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Style Eyes doesn't claim to own any image displayed on this site. Images will always be credited where relevant and possible, but if you are the owner of an image and want it removed please email me and I will gladly do so. Style Eyes cannot be held responsible for the content of any of the websites linked from this blog.